Cricket Archive

ICC welcomes Cricket Australia’s decision to play ODIs against Scotland and Ireland by ICC Media Releases

DateLine: 12th May 2008

The International Cricket Council has welcomed the news that Australia is to play ODIs against Scotland and Ireland in 2009 and 2010.

Australia will visit Scotland on 28 August 2009 between the conclusion of the Ashes Test series and the start of its ODI series with England. The ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) champion will return to Europe and play Ireland in June 2010 before taking on England in another ODI series. The ODI against Scotland will be the first time Australia has ever played an ODI against an Associate team outside of ICC events.

Australia has played ODIs against Scotland twice before, during the CWC 1999 and 2007, and once against Ireland (CWC 2007). These matches will mean that all ICC Full Members will have played bilateral ODIs against at least one leading Associate.

ICC High Performance Manager Richard Done said: “This is further good news for the development of cricket. One of the ways for the best Associates to close the gap at the top is to play meaningful matches against the likes of Australia.

"It's great that Australia is showing its support for the ICC's High Performance Programme with the confirmation of these matches. Apart from giving the Scottish and Irish players the chance to perform against some of the best cricketers in the world, it will also help to raise the profile of cricket in those countries. "Cricket fans in Scotland and Ireland will also get the opportunity to see the world champions in action and hopefully that will ensure big crowds at the matches," said Mr Done.

The next few years promise to be very busy for the top Associate teams as they prepare for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2009 in the UAE and, if they come in the top four of that tournament, the CWC 2011 in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Upcoming ODIs for top six Associate teams:

28, 29 June and 1 July – Canada v Bermuda (King City)

1 July – Ireland v New Zealand (Aberdeen)

2 July – Ireland v Scotland (Aberdeen)

3 July – Scotland v New Zealand (Aberdeen)

28 July – Netherlands v Ireland (Clontarf)

29 July – Scotland v Netherlands (Clontarf)

31 July – Scotland v Ireland (Clontarf)

7 and 8 August – Netherlands v Bermuda (VRA, Amsterdam)

12 August – Ireland v Canada (Clontarf)

12 and 13 August – Scotland v Kenya (Ayr)

18 August – Scotland v England (Grange)

21 August – Netherlands v Kenya (VOC, Rotterdam)

22 August – Canada v Bermuda (Toronto)

24 August – Canada v West Indies (Toronto)

24, 25 and 27 August – Ireland v Kenya (Stormont)

26 August – Bermuda v West Indies (Toronto)

28 August – tri-series final – two of Bermuda, Canada, the West Indies (Toronto)

TBC October – Ireland, Kenya, Zimbabwe ODI tri-series ( Kenya )

TBC November – Kenya v South Africa ( South Africa )